To the Death
by Jimmy Candlestick
Summary: Hopefully to become a series of one-shots. It's from Oreius' P.O.V. Beginning at the battle at the end of LWW, and intended to end sometime during the Golden Age of Narnia....sorry if i got that wrong. My Narnia terminology isn't as good as it once was.


**Oreius POV...I wrote this a while back, so, I don't really remember how it is...:) Anywho, this is hopefully gonna continue on, like a series of one-shots. If that made any sense...:) enjoy! -Jimmy**

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Hooves pound on the ground, carrying me closer to my destination-the rocks. I purposefully slow my gait slightly, letting my fellow Narnians go before me. I am right behind Prince Peter. Remembering my promise, I quicken my pace to come even with him. I glance over at him, checking for any wounds.

The young soon-to-be-king catches my eye. He smiles slightly, trying to reassure himself probably. I did the same thing with my commander during my first battle. For one so young, he's doing marvelously well! He's a born leader, and will make a magnificent king if we win this battle.

Whizzing arrows fly above, hitting many minotaurs, much to my satisfaction. I can hear them grunting and roaring, their bodies hit the ground heavily. Unconsciously, I pull ahead of Peter. He rides a unicorn, he should be out of harms way. The rhinoceros is ahead of me, his great lumbering bulk slowing.

I look up toward the archers. Young Edmund is also there, and though I cannot see his face, I can tell that his body is extremely tense. I slow as well, halting right next to the rhinoceros. My head cocks slightly with curiosity, my ears perked with one forward and one back. I am ale to see that Edmund is looking in my direction, but not at me, beyond me. Something is wrong.

I turn around. Ahead, the unicorn is on the ground writhing in pain, an arrow buried deep in its body. Near it, Peter is rolling to get up. I can see both Otmin and the Witch. The rhinoceros grunts beside me, ready to charge. I nod, also ready; set on making sure Peter is safe.

We gallop together, ready to give our lives for him. As we pass on either side of him, I hear Peter shout something, but I don't stop to see what the rhinoceros passes me, but I have to hack my way through the enemy soldiers.

Tiny creatures dart around ahead of us. Ankle slashers! Before I can shout a warning, they reach the rhinoceros. I haven't time to worry about this, bunching up my muscles, I leap over the rhinoceros' body, crushing some of the little creatures under my hooves.

A roar and a hulking black body draws my attention-Otmin! I lock eyes with the minotaur general. We seem to have the same thoughts. Both of us raise our swords. He swings first and I have to swing also to block it. With one blade I am able to catch him in the arm. Unfortunately he uses that to swing up. I cry out in pain as he drives his knife past my leather armor and into my back. I hit him with a blow that would've made any other creature lose their grip. He shoves me into a nearby rock and pain explodes in my side. Swiftly I raise both swords and thrust them down into Otmin's body, his answering roar being his last.

As Otmin falls to the ground I release the two hilts. Reaching to my side I grip the hilt of my third sword. A sword that was once my father's. He died using this sword, I'm willing to do the same.

With my side protesting every move I make, I again leap into the air, swinging the blade down at the Witch. She's a skilled swordswoman and parries as if it is nothing. I land heavily, sending more pain shooting through my side and turn around. I rear and raise my sword, intending to bring it down on her. I can see the fear in her eyes.

Then blackness.

The next thing I know, Aslan is standing right before me.

"My lord," I say, bowing.

I hear him chuckling. "You have great faith Oreius."

Looking up I ask, "Faith, Aslan?"

"You don't seem to be very much surprised that I am alive." His eyes tell me he is jogging my memory. Which he does.

"Well, I suppose it is because you are so powerful, it doesn't seem that you could possibly be defeated by her." All of the sudden, I feel very insignificant. Only Aslan can that to a centaur, I was once told.

He smiled at me, completing our conversation.

I look around, I'm right where I was last. Ahead of me, the dead unicorn lies. Peter! Sheathing my sword, I begin trotting, checking for survivors while looking for the prince. A runner, a faun, comes up.

"General Oreius!" he calls.

"Where is Prince Peter?" I demand.

"General, that is why I came. He sent me looking for you. In fact, as soon as the healers release him, I believe he intends to come for you himself."

I begin walking quickly. "The healers? He is injured?"

"Only a minor scrape to his arm."

I nod. I can see a figure running toward me, from its gait I can tell it's one of the princes.

"That must be him," the faun says beside me.

Smiling, I shake my head. "I suppose I can't just let him run the whole way."

"I suppose not."

I burst into a brief gallop. A very brief gallop. I seem to have broken or cracked some of my ribs in my horse body, for as soon as I started to move so quickly, the pain attacked severely, making up stumble. Two voices cried out, one was the faun, the other, Peter.

"Lay down," the faun commands.

Grudgingly, I obey, laying on the uninjured side.

While the faun begins to relinquish me of my armor, Peter arrives. Taking off my helmet, I nod my greeting, which he returns.

"What's wrong?" he inquires.

I wince as the faun begins prodding. "My ribs."

"Yes, his ribs. You need a healer, Oreius." The faun ends his inspection and stands up. "And until I bring one back. Stay here."

I glare at him. "I can still walk."

"Stay, Oreius," Peter cuts in. Then he turns to the faun. "Find my youngest sister, Lucy."

The faun nods and leaves.

After a minute or so, I find myself in the embrace Prince Peter.

"I told you to stop!" He says, pulling away.

"Your Majesty, the Witch and her soldiers were bearing down o you. I couldn't let you die"

He looks away. "Thank you. But, when she turned you into stone, and I didn't know Aslan was alive…" his voice travels off.

We are both silent for some time. Then I speak. "I appreciate your concern. However, it is my duty to protect you. And I will most certainly try, until the end of my days."

Before he can say more, Lucy runs up. She starts to chatter way after giving me a drop from her vial. I catch Peter's eye as I stand, and I see that he understands. That I am with him, to the death.

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**A review would be absolutely lovely. **


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